5 Useless Things
I did a talk the past week on 3 useless things. Things that sound essential in AI governance but turn out to be insufficient. It’s a shorter version of my list of 5 useless things. More on this in another article.
Three people approached me after the talk to say they liked it. I’ll take that win.
The new. The head of AI at a local bank. A room full of folks at a dinner for folks in the AI and Web3 space. A law professor who writes about AI regulations. A room of folks at the AI Context conference. Folks for two panels I will be doing soon. A startup founder doing an AI enabled platform for private credit.
The familiar. My PhD classmates. Which became a farewell for one who is going off to join Meta in the US soon.
I realized that across 5+ months of independent life, I had accumulated 5 useless things at a personal level.
The photo is of my watercolours and illustrations of Singapore streets and old spaces, projected behind me while I talk about AI governance.
Which is where the list of 5 useless things starts.
1. Useless to box
For many years I kept things in separate boxes. The artist separate from the regulator. The AI work separate from the paintings and sketches.
I now realize it’s more fun to live in the space between boxes. Even if you failed at some boxes. I wrote about this earlier - on Scott Adams’ point - “My combined mediocre skills are worth far more than the sum of the parts”.
2. Useless to force
I also realized that one needs to stop forcing things into boxes they were never meant to be in. The plan that seemed to make logical sense. The need to keep hustling. That feeling about things that could have been.
I made a plan before I left MAS. But I would say 80% of it never happened. And the 20% that did made more sense than that 80%. Versions of talks that came from abandoning the original deck. Things that moved at their own pace when I stopped pushing.
3. Useless to perform
Once you stop forcing things you stop performing things you are not. I am not a people person. Never have been. Networking events without a reason to be there are hard for me. I can’t work a room. I am more likely to leave early than shake another hand.
Paradoxically, I only like to either speak or listen at events. Showing up to speak when I have something to say. Otherwise, just listening makes me happier.
4. Useless to accomodate
Once you stop performing you stop accommodating. Early on, I said ‘yes’ quite fast. Because saying no felt impolite. Also, what if I missed out on something.
The filter got sharper slowly. Cleaner and cleaner ‘no’s. Walking away from things that constrain or slow rather than build. Becoming comfortable with setting the conditions for gigs.
5. Useless to follow convention
On how to build an independent practice. The plan I made at the end of last year was based on what I thought made sense. On what helps with LinkedIn. The need to post accessible life lessons and your mugshots on LinkedIn.
Following what’s interesting instead of what’s planned. Writing honestly about what was actually happening each week. Saying things I actually believed rather than things that fit the profile. Being the person who calls principles and checklists and use cases useless at a conference about these things.
I wonder what other useless things I will learn in another 6 months